tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6426523088079591832017-12-10T21:19:20.794-06:00Evergreen and IndigoAssorted musings by Courtney M. Privett, the time-lost author of The Malora Octet, Huron, and The Bacra Chronicles.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-80304058557204870812017-04-07T00:02:00.002-05:002017-04-07T00:02:48.412-05:00Little Embers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mNtsmIAL_UM/WOcdTZLIWzI/AAAAAAABJS0/nCymOMUmIP8epQuxr4SlQPGVr1ylIpRFQCLcB/s1600/embers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mNtsmIAL_UM/WOcdTZLIWzI/AAAAAAABJS0/nCymOMUmIP8epQuxr4SlQPGVr1ylIpRFQCLcB/s640/embers.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-36992264754672565252017-02-16T01:38:00.002-06:002017-02-16T01:38:23.070-06:00Keep Persisting<a href="https://www.zazzle.com/keep_persisting" target="_blank">I have a Zazzle store! </a>There are some kinks to work out (items only showing up in collections and not in the store list), but that should be taken care of by the print company within a couple days. Make sure you switch the content filter from "Safe" to "Moderate" to see everything. I had to go PG-13 on a the "Nevertheless, She Persisted" and "He Persisted" items so they didn't get flagged for language. Most of the individual products have multiple options for style, size, and color once you're on the product page. Let me know if there is something you'd like that isn't currently offered and I'll get it in the store for you.<br /><br />For reference, the URL is:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.zazzle.com/keep_persisting">https://www.zazzle.com/keep_persisting</a><br /><br />This print store is a charity art project.&nbsp;All proceeds from the products will be split between two charities - The Trevor Project, which provides support to LGBTQ youth in crisis, and The Midnight Mission, a Los Angeles-based organization that helps people overcome homelessness. Both organizations help people through hard times and dark places and give them the tools to keep persisting.<br /><br />If you want to know more about my art project and philosophy, I've given several interviews in the last week. There is at least one that hasn't been published yet, and I'll link that once the journalist finishes it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.opednews.com/articles/ShePersisted-Takes-Off-by-Joan-Brunwasser-Activism_Art-And-Healing_Arts_Healing-Power-Of-Art-170215-501.html" target="_blank">OpEdNews</a><br /><a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/nevertheless-she-persisted-illustration-by-courtney-privett-empowers-women-men-to-stand-up-to-sexism-37256" target="_blank">Bustle</a><br /><a href="http://divergenow.com/dialogue/2017/02/nevertheless-shepersisted-artist-story/" target="_blank">Diverge</a><br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/courtney-privett-she-persisted_us_589cbd19e4b04061313c3653" target="_blank">Huffington Post</a><br /><br />I have a lot more to say but I should have gone to bed two hours ago, so for now I'll leave you with this. It's my latest piece, "We All Belong", and the idea came from my five year old daughter, Lyra. She told me to "draw lots of different girls holding hands", so I did.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJGFcGdy48k/WKVWQwHRMLI/AAAAAAABHyc/Dl-x_wfb4OcGA9kxz50ASCYWPpvZ-qZsACLcB/s1600/webelongbright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FJGFcGdy48k/WKVWQwHRMLI/AAAAAAABHyc/Dl-x_wfb4OcGA9kxz50ASCYWPpvZ-qZsACLcB/s400/webelongbright.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-46774611754449187232017-02-08T22:19:00.000-06:002017-02-09T14:00:29.492-06:00Nevertheless, she persisted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lqp0k7sTnK4/WJvsXhWWkyI/AAAAAAABHfw/UFZkWNs_V1YbM95tMW_v7MaJVvBLZVj8QCEw/s1600/16586927_10210875558338733_7779511170167310060_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lqp0k7sTnK4/WJvsXhWWkyI/AAAAAAABHfw/UFZkWNs_V1YbM95tMW_v7MaJVvBLZVj8QCEw/s640/16586927_10210875558338733_7779511170167310060_o.jpg" width="490" /></a></div><br />I'm rather overwhelmed right now. A piece I drew this morning has gone viral on Facebook. If you happen to see this without attribution somewhere, it's mine. I drew it in response to Mitch <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/08/us/politics/elizabeth-warren-coretta-scott-king.html?_r=0" target="_blank">McConnell's words in silencing Sen. Elizabeth Warren's reading of Coretta Scott King's letter</a>, and for all the women I've run into who don't think they need feminism. It's amazing that something so simple can resonate with so many.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EJBmNzR-jcM/WJyNPzhyr4I/AAAAAAABHg8/GCPD84MLUoYLCpOg-YmD0gGarEZqvbUUgCLcB/s1600/persist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EJBmNzR-jcM/WJyNPzhyr4I/AAAAAAABHg8/GCPD84MLUoYLCpOg-YmD0gGarEZqvbUUgCLcB/s640/persist.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original was missing the signature because I totally forgot to sign it, plus I didn't expect it to be shared further than by a couple friends. Facepalm for that now. I signed it and rescanned it this morning.</td></tr></tbody></table>ETA: I'm being asked a lot about prints. I'm extremely busy today with kid scheduling and general life (curse you, narcolepsy), but a few friends and I are working on figuring out print options with the intent of any proceeds going to charity.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-1927188520525301122017-02-06T15:56:00.002-06:002017-02-07T22:16:53.427-06:00Political Artwork<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0jJiiZAvQek/WJjwrCGwYQI/AAAAAAABHT4/7RIUAe54uiQlNtPQjtOACzrVETo5HQlzQCLcB/s1600/america.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0jJiiZAvQek/WJjwrCGwYQI/AAAAAAABHT4/7RIUAe54uiQlNtPQjtOACzrVETo5HQlzQCLcB/s400/america.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xnqoRXWJkJY/WJjwozAf7RI/AAAAAAABHTw/kZYasuYOjT0Tl7eVazwEGILxg3OKToPagCLcB/s1600/rushmore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xnqoRXWJkJY/WJjwozAf7RI/AAAAAAABHTw/kZYasuYOjT0Tl7eVazwEGILxg3OKToPagCLcB/s400/rushmore.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_PIl8vTA2hM/WJjwqQRd_TI/AAAAAAABHT0/STzV1m5CBQ41J4d1sFO3vuUx3OEIiw1lACLcB/s1600/dragons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_PIl8vTA2hM/WJjwqQRd_TI/AAAAAAABHT0/STzV1m5CBQ41J4d1sFO3vuUx3OEIiw1lACLcB/s400/dragons.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0xwnI1DIF50/WJppI03b_mI/AAAAAAABHbw/SRsFZvaXZQQhGI6o2DE_wNBLVSUPt4eagCLcB/s1600/pigeons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0xwnI1DIF50/WJppI03b_mI/AAAAAAABHbw/SRsFZvaXZQQhGI6o2DE_wNBLVSUPt4eagCLcB/s400/pigeons.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--tjLFpBr4kA/WJppH-UbguI/AAAAAAABHbs/080VcNa-szMhPaDExg6V-wF0yMOoBfshgCLcB/s1600/school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--tjLFpBr4kA/WJppH-UbguI/AAAAAAABHbs/080VcNa-szMhPaDExg6V-wF0yMOoBfshgCLcB/s400/school.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wF9F57SWjpY/WJqbotq86gI/AAAAAAABHcI/h-m6HuSFOoITLkXB6nSuoK_J3uU8k2r0ACLcB/s1600/steamroller.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wF9F57SWjpY/WJqbotq86gI/AAAAAAABHcI/h-m6HuSFOoITLkXB6nSuoK_J3uU8k2r0ACLcB/s400/steamroller.jpg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-57699489704596190572016-11-30T11:54:00.000-06:002016-11-30T11:54:07.937-06:00We're not in Malora anymoreIt was inevitable. I returned through the portal from Malora over a year ago, but I knew my wanderlust couldn't be satisfied until I discovered a new one to a new world. I dabbled with time travel for a while and returned to 1999 Michigan with <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Huron-Courtney-Privett-ebook/dp/B01GU7QPIC/" target="_blank">Huron</a></i>. Then I built a rocket ship and took my toddler to the Solar System's moons in my first children's book,&nbsp;<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Elora-Goes-Moons-Courtney-Privett/dp/1539461416" target="_blank">Elora Goes to the Moons</a></i>.<br /><br />Then, one summer day, I found a portal I didn't know I was looking for. It was a shower epiphany, as many of my ideas are. I suddenly found myself transported underground, with no idea how I got there and no idea how to escape.<br /><br />Thus, <i>Cavelost</i>&nbsp;was born.<br /><br />I chose a strange route when I drafted this book. I wasn't sure if it was meant to be a short story or a novel, so I chose neither. I started writing it as a journal in blog format so my alpha readers could read each entry as I wrote it. Two and a half months later, I climbed out of that cave and into the starlight, and discovered that I now had an entire surface world to explore. One little project became an unknown many, and <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1MQVNY" target="_blank">Cavelost</a></i>&nbsp;was formatted and edited into Book 1 of <i>The Bacra Chronicles.</i><br /><i><br /></i>I released <i>Cavelost </i>into the wild today in e-book format. The paperback will come shortly, since I needed to tweak a few things. The book is listed on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32733214-cavelost" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>, so it would be wonderful if you added and reviewed it.<br /><br />Now, back to work. I started Book 2, <i>Faelost</i>, for <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/participants/cmprivett/novels/faelost/stats" target="_blank">National Novel Writing Month</a>. I finished the 50,000 word goal before the end of November, but that puts me maybe halfway through the story, so I'll just keep writing. <i>Cavelost</i>&nbsp;was told by a former mercenary named Rin Sylleth, and <i>Faelost</i>&nbsp;is told by her seventeen year old second son, Tessen. <i>Faelost</i>&nbsp;begins exactly where <i>Cavelost </i>leaves off. I'm not sure yet how many books will complete <i>The Bacra Chronicles</i>, but as of now I plan on a different narrator for each story. I already have plans for one narrated by Yana.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1MQVNY" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9Ra0wrVzAA/WD8SCDuKIFI/AAAAAAAA9E4/P8h3AZpqscURZEDRuxAJVG0hPIQGeUFowCLcB/s400/cavelostcovername.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-52170367794244909272016-10-23T21:53:00.000-05:002016-10-23T21:53:40.335-05:00Busy, busy, always busyFirst of all, I have a new book release, and it is nothing like my others. <i>Elora Goes to the Moons</i>&nbsp;is a children's book I wrote for my youngest daughter, who loves the Moon. I made a weekend project of flying the cartoon version of her through the Solar System. Several of my friends wanted their own copies of the book after seeing my fragile scrapbook version, so I scanned it, uploaded it to Createspace, received a beautiful-looking proof, and made it <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Elora-Goes-Moons-Courtney-Privett/dp/1539461416/ref=la_B007DIPPKC_1_7?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1477276739&amp;sr=1-7" target="_blank">available in paperback on Amazon</a>. It's handmade and handwritten, and it has a lot of fun little science facts throughout.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Elora-Goes-Moons-Courtney-Privett/dp/1539461416/ref=la_B007DIPPKC_1_7?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1477276739&amp;sr=1-7" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qsw9yMQUuvM/WA10Puv6M2I/AAAAAAAA8J8/4GVlDM8KUTIy5vvmo6MJdWX9Yfv2hj_4wCLcB/s320/Moon%2Btitle.jpg" width="317" /></a></div><br /><br />I've hidden my epistolary blog, <i>Cavelost</i>. Why? Because it's finished. I've done a couple of editing rounds on it, and today I uploaded the formatted version so I can get a print copy to do final edits and copyedits on. The characters have decided to expand upon their world and make <i>Cavelost</i>&nbsp;the first of a series called <i>The Bacra Chronicles</i>. I'll be starting the next book, <i>Faelost</i>, during <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a>. <i>Cavelost</i>&nbsp;is told by a former mercenary named Rin Sylleth, who wakes up trapped in a massive cave system. <i>Faelost</i>&nbsp;will be told by Rin's second son, Tessen.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NQqW3hYWVvI/WA12CStIVCI/AAAAAAAA8KI/pqgFWT-LjTMqlz9779JjBLkCjXe2K-lVgCLcB/s1600/cavelostcovername.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NQqW3hYWVvI/WA12CStIVCI/AAAAAAAA8KI/pqgFWT-LjTMqlz9779JjBLkCjXe2K-lVgCLcB/s320/cavelostcovername.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><br />On a sadder note, I lost my cat muse on Friday.&nbsp;Reno passed away suddenly during the night, and we have no explanation for it. Since he was young, only between 4-6 years old, the vet said it was most likely caused by a heart issue. We adopted Reno on Valentine's Day almost two years ago. He helped me out of the doldrums so I could finish writing Sand into Glass and editing The Crystal Lattice, and he sat with me through nearly every word of the three books I've written since. I'm in shock and I'm going to miss him tremendously. I keep expecting to see him lounging on his favorite chair and when I get up in the middle of the night, I run my hand across the end of the bed, expecting him to be there. It's difficult to write without him by my side.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzJ5iC9hYWs/WA13MtgbKyI/AAAAAAAA8KQ/CAbL-NMbIkIwqjTAHvw2zGMLiS_tcqRkwCLcB/s1600/12183722_10207011688304397_4512381573305431048_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzJ5iC9hYWs/WA13MtgbKyI/AAAAAAAA8KQ/CAbL-NMbIkIwqjTAHvw2zGMLiS_tcqRkwCLcB/s320/12183722_10207011688304397_4512381573305431048_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EOP1MHUCxwg/WA13ZVIs-iI/AAAAAAAA8KU/msSSnltEUiIzOuUmQf2mq8_dZALW8mL5ACLcB/s1600/14720429_1106133452827204_1002386534668446337_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EOP1MHUCxwg/WA13ZVIs-iI/AAAAAAAA8KU/msSSnltEUiIzOuUmQf2mq8_dZALW8mL5ACLcB/s320/14720429_1106133452827204_1002386534668446337_n.jpg" width="176" /></a></div><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-5029041434631928622016-07-21T12:57:00.000-05:002016-07-21T12:57:07.119-05:00CavelostI've started writing a fantasy epistolary story in blog format, <i><a href="http://cavelost.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cavelost</a></i>. The strange presentation is a way of holding myself accountable to short, frequent writing sessions. I've been fighting through my own dark caverns for a while now, so this story is a way to help me find daylight. If you're interested in reading along as I write this adventure, visit <i><a href="http://cavelost.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Cavelost</a></i>&nbsp;and start with the oldest entry first.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--34h3V3jUHc/V5EMvyp9fYI/AAAAAAAA5R4/mTfieyQm14ICd9VfCPJBvWele77s5dpjgCLcB/s1600/sketch1469123723226.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--34h3V3jUHc/V5EMvyp9fYI/AAAAAAAA5R4/mTfieyQm14ICd9VfCPJBvWele77s5dpjgCLcB/s320/sketch1469123723226.png" width="180" /></a></div><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-87446272648501443862016-06-13T15:19:00.002-05:002016-06-28T11:24:20.012-05:00Huron Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u9Hk5ax2M0I/V1mmxshvLeI/AAAAAAAA4vQ/WepTxrRy9sYzKfdCLnQnz_DajEaL0HiDACKgB/s1600/13419128_1003003289806888_7892802356944756683_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: black; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u9Hk5ax2M0I/V1mmxshvLeI/AAAAAAAA4vQ/WepTxrRy9sYzKfdCLnQnz_DajEaL0HiDACKgB/s400/13419128_1003003289806888_7892802356944756683_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.76px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.76px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.76px;">The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Huron-Courtney-Privett-ebook/dp/B01GU7QPIC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=1465848517&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">print and Kindle editions</a> of <i>Huron</i> are now linked together and visible on my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Courtney-Privett/e/B007DIPPKC" target="_blank">author pag</a>e, so it should be easier to find my newest book on Amazon. You can e</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.76px;">ven read <i>Huron</i> and my previous books for free if you have Kindle Unlimited, and you don't need a Kindle since Amazon has free e-reader apps for many different devices.</span></span></span>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-33804108969051968662016-06-09T12:27:00.001-05:002016-06-09T13:29:15.369-05:00HuronI've done it, I've finally hit the "publish" button on my 2015 NaNoWriMo project,&nbsp;<i>Huron.</i>&nbsp;The paperback is up on <a href="https://www.createspace.com/5898425" target="_blank">Createspace</a>&nbsp;and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Huron-Courtney-M-Privett/dp/1519545525/ref=la_B007DIPPKC_1_10?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1465494532&amp;sr=1-10" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, ebook version is live on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GU7QPIC" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. The versions should be linked together within a couple days. I fought with enough of my own monsters to fill a forest in order to bring this little horror story to life. <i>Huron</i>&nbsp;is a significant departure from my previous novels, and I hope you enjoy it.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eYUWT0M0X_Q/V1mmaZkbmRI/AAAAAAAA4vA/5ix225x15MgW2v-So61531y2ZIMyNikxACLcB/s1600/Huron_Cover_for_Kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eYUWT0M0X_Q/V1mmaZkbmRI/AAAAAAAA4vA/5ix225x15MgW2v-So61531y2ZIMyNikxACLcB/s400/Huron_Cover_for_Kindle.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">On August 1, 1998, a trio of seventeen-year-olds venture into Huron National Forest near East Tawas, Michigan for a live-action role playing adventure. Before long, all three realize something is watching them from the forest, something that no mythology or cryptozoology they know of can explain. Thus begins a twisting, turning, terrifying chase into an old-growth forest inhabited by nightmares.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u9Hk5ax2M0I/V1mmxshvLeI/AAAAAAAA4vI/CUUukuXSlmI0NrYAjEZ1cYGLNI1_LTkTQCLcB/s1600/13419128_1003003289806888_7892802356944756683_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u9Hk5ax2M0I/V1mmxshvLeI/AAAAAAAA4vI/CUUukuXSlmI0NrYAjEZ1cYGLNI1_LTkTQCLcB/s320/13419128_1003003289806888_7892802356944756683_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-49152329896257653852015-11-25T18:16:00.001-06:002015-11-25T18:16:37.809-06:00First Draft Complete!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tm4w7n1qiXQ/VlZLFJIZpMI/AAAAAAAA3Z0/9UMc-TlhWDc/s1600/What%2527s%2Bthe%2Bbest%2Bpart%2Babout%2Bwriting%2Ba%2Bbook-Finishing%2Bit..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tm4w7n1qiXQ/VlZLFJIZpMI/AAAAAAAA3Z0/9UMc-TlhWDc/s320/What%2527s%2Bthe%2Bbest%2Bpart%2Babout%2Bwriting%2Ba%2Bbook-Finishing%2Bit..jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />My goal was to finish the rough draft of <i>Huron</i>&nbsp;by the end of November, and I typed the last words in the wee hours of November 25th.&nbsp;Another draft completed! Of course, <i>Huron</i> won't be finished (or more accurately, kicked out of the house) until it has undergone a couple rounds of edits and rewrites, beta reading, proofreading, formatting, copyediting, and a lot of frustrated tears.<br /><br />This is by far my shortest novel, but that's okay since it's YA. The skeleton draft is about 62.5k words, and I'll be fleshing it out and giving it another row of teeth during rewrites. After spending twelve years writing the <i>Malora Octet</i>, finishing a stand-alone novel in a different genre is refreshing.<br /><br /><i>Huron</i>&nbsp;begins on August 1, 1998 in East Tawas, Michigan. A trio of seventeen-year-olds venture into Huron-Manistee National Forest for a live action role-playing adventure. Before long, all three teenagers realize that something is watching them from the forest, something that no mythology or cryptozoology they know of can explain. Thus begins a twisting, turning, terrifying chase into an old-growth forest inhabited by nightmares.Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-17255359137276012402015-11-20T11:10:00.000-06:002015-11-20T11:10:26.885-06:00National Novel Writing Month 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jAqCMeCpghU/Vk9OaJXPyJI/AAAAAAAA3Wg/_tJfhgd6Ozw/s1600/NaNo-2015-Winner-Badge-Large-Square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jAqCMeCpghU/Vk9OaJXPyJI/AAAAAAAA3Wg/_tJfhgd6Ozw/s320/NaNo-2015-Winner-Badge-Large-Square.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This is why I've been aloof lately. I've been working on a new book in a new genre, and I was so into it that I hit the 50k word count NaNoWriMo goal on November 18th instead of the 31st. <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/participants/cmprivett" target="_blank">Here is my participant page if you want to check out my stats.</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm not finished yet. 50k is awfully short for a novel, so I've got a little ways to go before I'm done with the first draft. I tend to write skeletal first drafts and then add a couple thousand words with each round of rewrites. This will be a shorter book than my previous ones, but that's perfectly fine for the genre and plot.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So, what am I writing? I'm not entirely sure how to categorize <i>Huron</i> yet, so for now I'm calling it YA Horror. It's a funny, scary, old-fashioned horror chase set in 1998 in Iosco County, Michigan. My narrator is Casey Tallis, a snarky and nerdy seventeen year old who heads out into Huron-Manistee National Forest with two friends for a little live action role-playing. Before long, all three teenagers realize that they are being watched by something inhuman.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The picture below isn't my final cover, just a placeholder I made on <a href="https://www.canva.com/" target="_blank">Canva</a> to put on my <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/participants/cmprivett" target="_blank">NaNo profile</a>. I may still use this concept for the final version, switching up some of the colors and graphics. It suits the tone of the book fairly well. I wasn't expecting <i>Huron</i>&nbsp;to be so funny, but after writing 8 3/4 books, I've learned that sometimes you just have to run with whatever your characters decide to reveal to you. Narrators especially take on lives of their own, and this narrator happens to be hilarious. Hopefully the story still makes sense when I return to it for edits and rewrites in January, because I want to set it loose upon the world sometime in 2016.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T-hKTNleeoA/Vk9Oe5ZkccI/AAAAAAAA3Wo/-mU1Qd2maF0/s1600/Huron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T-hKTNleeoA/Vk9Oe5ZkccI/AAAAAAAA3Wo/-mU1Qd2maF0/s400/Huron.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-63856260780459874162015-10-16T12:15:00.000-05:002015-10-16T12:15:12.290-05:00Book Sale!<i>The Crystal Lattice </i>(Emergence #1) is on sale for $0.99 on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Lattice-Emergence-Book-ebook/dp/B00VOMVYH6/ref=la_B007DIPPKC_1_3?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1445011307&amp;sr=1-3" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. The sale ends the morning of Wed., October 21, so grab your copy before the price goes back up. I may do Kindle Countdown Deals for the other two Emergence books if I have any success with this one.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Lattice-Emergence-Book-ebook/dp/B00VOMVYH6/ref=la_B007DIPPKC_1_3?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1445011307&amp;sr=1-3" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HCdWd0pFNlE/VSC5D04HonI/AAAAAAAAlPQ/AyXyZxmee3g/s400/The_Crystal_Lattice_Cover_for_Kindle.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px; text-align: left;">"The ocean sings to me. The deserts, the wind, the rivers whisper to my soul. The mountains and forests beckon to me, but they are not my masters. I embrace the fire above all else. Starfire and kindling, candlelight and infernos. I am not a disciple of fire – I am the fire. I am wings of flame and sparks on the wind, dampened only by the bitter winter rain and the coldness of an empty universe. I close my eyes and see blazing cascades and meadows of molten rock. I breathe deeply of the ash and char to refresh my spirit and subdue my elemental nature. I open my eyes and return to a far more serene place, the halcyon world of my physical home." - from <i>The Crystal Lattice</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-68035373161845594372015-10-07T22:44:00.002-05:002015-10-07T22:45:13.690-05:00Wordless Wednesday: Fairies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C9nuyaaGa-k/VhXmXl4Y7yI/AAAAAAAA28g/7XJOFsEbZXc/s1600/fairiescolor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C9nuyaaGa-k/VhXmXl4Y7yI/AAAAAAAA28g/7XJOFsEbZXc/s640/fairiescolor.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OQKhtozW9Is/VhXmX0hZPhI/AAAAAAAA28k/x7_AbCTSLAw/s1600/quail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OQKhtozW9Is/VhXmX0hZPhI/AAAAAAAA28k/x7_AbCTSLAw/s640/quail.jpg" width="464" /></a></div><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-74254236016787510782015-10-02T11:49:00.002-05:002015-10-02T11:49:53.226-05:00Time-Lost AgainI haven't been able to write much recently. It's not due to writer's block or lack of ideas. I'm just exhausted. I have ideas eating away at my mind, but no energy with which to resolve them. I had kidney stone surgery at the end of July and that flared up my narcolepsy to the point that I have trouble staying awake for more than a couple hours at a time. I had bilateral stones, so I had a second procedure, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy -&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extracorporeal_shock_wave_lithotripsy" target="_blank">ESWL</a>, on my other kidney last week. I don't think it worked (will find out next week), so I may be in for a second surgery. I needed a stent for the first one and that was a little traumatic, so the prospect of going through that again is keeping my focus wobbly. I'm time-lost for the moment and hoping this narcolepsy flare doesn't last too much longer.<br /><br />I do feel a little productive though, due to something I wrote in May. My short story, "They", was published in a little anthology <a href="http://www.possibilitiespublishingcompany.com/" target="_blank">Possibilities Publishing Company</a> put out yesterday. The book is available in both <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trick-Treat-Collection-Spooky-Stories-ebook/dp/B0161IKAO0/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1443802466&amp;sr=1-2" target="_blank">e-book</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trick-Treat-Collection-Scary-Stories/dp/0986182222/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1443802466&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">paperback</a>, so get your copy in whichever format you prefer.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7f0__ZsJdyg/Vg6w6nSds0I/AAAAAAAA21U/-r0uOl7yq8I/s1600/PPCo%2BTrick%2Bor%2BTreat%2BA%2BCollection%2Bof%2BSpooky%2BStories%2BFront%2BCover%2Bonly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7f0__ZsJdyg/Vg6w6nSds0I/AAAAAAAA21U/-r0uOl7yq8I/s400/PPCo%2BTrick%2Bor%2BTreat%2BA%2BCollection%2Bof%2BSpooky%2BStories%2BFront%2BCover%2Bonly.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br />I feel the need to stay productive despite the surgeries and narcolepsy, so I've returned to an old hobby... drawing. I'm planning on including some of my artwork in <i>Rain Falls on Malora</i>. I'm also drawing a geeky coloring book unrelated to my books, but since it's fan art, I don't think I'll be able to publish that unless I figure out copyright for each of the books, TV shows, and movies I've drawn artwork for. You can see some of them on my <a href="https://instagram.com/courtneymprivett/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, though.<br /><br />I want to share with you coloring book-style pictures I've drawn of characters from the <i>Malora Octet.</i>&nbsp;I bought a set of art pens recently so this has been a fun new experiment.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lQSYeho0XGY/Vg6yIH8IuEI/AAAAAAAA21g/lIHGPmt0oBM/s1600/bethelandsaruzacolor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lQSYeho0XGY/Vg6yIH8IuEI/AAAAAAAA21g/lIHGPmt0oBM/s400/bethelandsaruzacolor.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bethel Masiona and Saruza Starsinger. Bethel is always a pain to color<br />against complex backgrounds for reasons that are obvious if you've<br />&nbsp;read the series.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GsVqiNVHQtU/Vg6yIC-rRJI/AAAAAAAA21c/5TAr6ZP0XGc/s1600/rainanddawncolor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GsVqiNVHQtU/Vg6yIC-rRJI/AAAAAAAA21c/5TAr6ZP0XGc/s400/rainanddawncolor.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rain and Dawn. I may alter this into a cover for <i>Rain Falls on Malora</i><br />if I end up including Rain's short story in the book.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OGsO-LpJzYE/Vg6yIFRdL2I/AAAAAAAA21o/Mlt7CNoM5kA/s1600/silvanandmairencolor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OGsO-LpJzYE/Vg6yIFRdL2I/AAAAAAAA21o/Mlt7CNoM5kA/s400/silvanandmairencolor.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Silvan and Mairen from <i>Arrow of Entropy</i>. I don't want to be a<br />spoiler so all I'll say is they're learning how to spar.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xACo-JRx6cg/Vg6yJj7BLoI/AAAAAAAA21w/i6A-G5yzaQY/s1600/tesjiandsaforacolor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xACo-JRx6cg/Vg6yJj7BLoI/AAAAAAAA21w/i6A-G5yzaQY/s400/tesjiandsaforacolor.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ravaki and Safora from <i>The Crystal Lattice</i>. I'm not happy with their arm<br />positioning, but I love how the rest of the picture turned out.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-14nzD8hoUyQ/Vg6yJ6wrK8I/AAAAAAAA214/pJQs0S6KIBQ/s1600/thulascolor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-14nzD8hoUyQ/Vg6yJ6wrK8I/AAAAAAAA214/pJQs0S6KIBQ/s400/thulascolor.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was inspired by Nira's letter to Azfadel in <i>The Crystal Lattice.</i><br />It's amazing how just a couple lines reveal her postpartum depression.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-29721318997671011142015-09-04T23:51:00.003-05:002015-09-04T23:51:47.232-05:00Sketching the Imaginary Friends, Part 3I'm having way too much fun with this project. My creative brain is extremely visual right now. Eventually I'll get the sketches scanned into my computer, and I hope to include them as illustrations (probably grayscale) in my short story collection, <i>Rain Falls on Malora.</i><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PE9kbkNkmxI/VepyA7ecwrI/AAAAAAAA2Ek/79d2EivLdS4/s1600/11986938_10206658069184140_800816485990493086_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PE9kbkNkmxI/VepyA7ecwrI/AAAAAAAA2Ek/79d2EivLdS4/s400/11986938_10206658069184140_800816485990493086_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ikuren Nightsong, Masai snow Emergent from <i>Sand into Glass</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hcr7BMGloh8/VepyDgJiRtI/AAAAAAAA2Es/beipaO5PKpE/s1600/1538683_10206636528045625_6777308819352210514_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hcr7BMGloh8/VepyDgJiRtI/AAAAAAAA2Es/beipaO5PKpE/s400/1538683_10206636528045625_6777308819352210514_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildfire (<i>The Shattered Veil)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zh2-VA3ulDs/VepyExHIlhI/AAAAAAAA2E0/pKm-_J1JnT4/s1600/11928751_10206641280684438_599136340144293148_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zh2-VA3ulDs/VepyExHIlhI/AAAAAAAA2E0/pKm-_J1JnT4/s400/11928751_10206641280684438_599136340144293148_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roar Banan (<i>Mayfly Requiem)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q0W1hnpClDA/VepyeINvoPI/AAAAAAAA2E8/NgoXP6pgMho/s1600/10985438_10206642660598935_1822908379851074341_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q0W1hnpClDA/VepyeINvoPI/AAAAAAAA2E8/NgoXP6pgMho/s400/10985438_10206642660598935_1822908379851074341_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kith (<i>Sand into Glass)<br /></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ev-T53c5ZCQ/VepyfmqR3iI/AAAAAAAA2Fw/uxiJXDoxJF0/s1600/11990475_10206646646018568_649786580271368745_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ev-T53c5ZCQ/VepyfmqR3iI/AAAAAAAA2Fw/uxiJXDoxJF0/s400/11990475_10206646646018568_649786580271368745_n.jpg" width="342" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinderstorm, the apex phoenix (<i>Arrow of Entropy)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MSYfHUrUvdU/VepygUf0TEI/AAAAAAAA2Fs/mi-FTV8RS2A/s1600/1611017_10206628337440865_8079052907589810309_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MSYfHUrUvdU/VepygUf0TEI/AAAAAAAA2Fs/mi-FTV8RS2A/s400/1611017_10206628337440865_8079052907589810309_n.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zephyr and Rhodren Briarwind (<i>Echoes of Oblivion trilogy)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qPXo1c949-0/VepyeHU_KyI/AAAAAAAA2FU/Pjbd0tP9JqM/s1600/11229367_10206625932300738_4102109810677337186_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qPXo1c949-0/VepyeHU_KyI/AAAAAAAA2FU/Pjbd0tP9JqM/s400/11229367_10206625932300738_4102109810677337186_n.jpg" width="325" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sevilen and Aridani (<i>Echoes of Oblivion trilogy)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SyE-tqr33mY/VepyfAYO3VI/AAAAAAAA2Fk/m7FigdDI9v8/s1600/11988231_10206626853923778_1295933094952867303_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SyE-tqr33mY/VepyfAYO3VI/AAAAAAAA2Fk/m7FigdDI9v8/s400/11988231_10206626853923778_1295933094952867303_n.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sevilen and Aridani after shading and detailing</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vGnd1yNObtU/VepyeL-E5zI/AAAAAAAA2FM/gttOWcq5Uc8/s1600/11949289_10206616716630352_8214804859984159554_n%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vGnd1yNObtU/VepyeL-E5zI/AAAAAAAA2FM/gttOWcq5Uc8/s400/11949289_10206616716630352_8214804859984159554_n%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="321" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vutan Gira (<i>Arrow of Entropy)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IOYoUFGt05E/Vepye1iNVLI/AAAAAAAA2Fc/PXOBFTAl0yk/s1600/11987047_10206623168871654_8110367693741099445_n%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IOYoUFGt05E/Vepye1iNVLI/AAAAAAAA2Fc/PXOBFTAl0yk/s400/11987047_10206623168871654_8110367693741099445_n%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rastaban and Sevilen (Before <i>The Abyssal Night)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gmlmqH4EGcs/VepygCSlJxI/AAAAAAAA2F0/jrbuSMbO_0Y/s1600/11990691_10206656809192641_8126421403164539298_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gmlmqH4EGcs/VepygCSlJxI/AAAAAAAA2F0/jrbuSMbO_0Y/s400/11990691_10206656809192641_8126421403164539298_n.jpg" width="345" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zorie Berylatia (<i>Sand into Glass)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wmaIk3b8l2w/VepzDmbAWlI/AAAAAAAA2F8/I_El9TPrlSU/s1600/11928710_10206615141150966_1711321898231747726_o%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wmaIk3b8l2w/VepzDmbAWlI/AAAAAAAA2F8/I_El9TPrlSU/s400/11928710_10206615141150966_1711321898231747726_o%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sefa Metavanya, Reed Velarani, Muza Masiona, Faron Masiona (<i>Emergence trilogy)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-85468377368051051352015-09-02T02:23:00.003-05:002015-09-02T02:23:45.029-05:00Wordless Wednesday: Wildfire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IoOqNKaJiwA/Veaj3xfTXeI/AAAAAAAA15Y/44Y0reRfMa0/s1600/1538683_10206636528045625_6777308819352210514_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IoOqNKaJiwA/Veaj3xfTXeI/AAAAAAAA15Y/44Y0reRfMa0/s400/1538683_10206636528045625_6777308819352210514_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-23065742417967536022015-08-28T10:54:00.000-05:002015-08-28T10:54:15.812-05:00Sketching the Imaginary Friends, part 2<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I've been having too much fun with this sketching project even though some of my pictures end up a little heartbreaking if you have read the books they came from. I'm not sure what I'll do with these yet other than find the proper cable so I can hook up my scanner and make digital copies of them. That will also give clearer and more colorful images than the camera on my phone can offer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zL463kzd6rs/VeB_VpBwEWI/AAAAAAAA1j4/04PMXsh_phg/s1600/11900069_10206589864239059_7259518414677457804_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zL463kzd6rs/VeB_VpBwEWI/AAAAAAAA1j4/04PMXsh_phg/s400/11900069_10206589864239059_7259518414677457804_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ariana Achara and Rastaban Eryaucra (before The Abyssal Night)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SgO093o-xvA/VeB_VutnbyI/AAAAAAAA1j0/XgrXNSVxXxo/s1600/11933489_10206582791822253_5633191224904273092_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SgO093o-xvA/VeB_VutnbyI/AAAAAAAA1j0/XgrXNSVxXxo/s400/11933489_10206582791822253_5633191224904273092_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thora and Solace Achara (Shards of Chaos)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jij_r8VbKs/VeCCDXIwULI/AAAAAAAA1k0/eJtRz1sVKtc/s1600/11959964_10206594632918273_4361982473546123898_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jij_r8VbKs/VeCCDXIwULI/AAAAAAAA1k0/eJtRz1sVKtc/s400/11959964_10206594632918273_4361982473546123898_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River and Onyx (Shards of Chaos/Echoes of Oblivion trilogy)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3nAWH9FiVAk/VeB_ViZYc-I/AAAAAAAA1kI/ak_4bg8XHPU/s1600/11898636_10206589139300936_7068486665201713447_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3nAWH9FiVAk/VeB_ViZYc-I/AAAAAAAA1kI/ak_4bg8XHPU/s400/11898636_10206589139300936_7068486665201713447_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saruza Starsinger (Echoes of Oblivion trilogy)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-65iyw-zWl1c/VeB_WYbBc9I/AAAAAAAA1kA/T74JDe17KOk/s1600/11947417_10206596560686466_6760040015187241857_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-65iyw-zWl1c/VeB_WYbBc9I/AAAAAAAA1kA/T74JDe17KOk/s400/11947417_10206596560686466_6760040015187241857_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arden Masiona and Aerlya Metavanya (Sand into Glass)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iG74u5l6Flg/VeB_Wmyu8MI/AAAAAAAA1kE/8BbuQ9ZcMHc/s1600/11949539_10206595225373084_2748879806304313553_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iG74u5l6Flg/VeB_Wmyu8MI/AAAAAAAA1kE/8BbuQ9ZcMHc/s400/11949539_10206595225373084_2748879806304313553_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lirit Narsimor (Shards of Chaos/Echoes of Oblivion trilogy)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ty-1fOEPLZ0/VeB_WxeWIWI/AAAAAAAA1kM/VN1MTnH5k30/s1600/11954684_10206582455893855_2050000923055278175_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ty-1fOEPLZ0/VeB_WxeWIWI/AAAAAAAA1kM/VN1MTnH5k30/s400/11954684_10206582455893855_2050000923055278175_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ember and Moth (The Abyssal Night/Echoes of Oblivion trilogy)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BVeKzuCvLG8/VeB_XGuvqmI/AAAAAAAA1kc/ii_63bvBPt4/s1600/11960079_10206604656008844_4999170499837040314_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BVeKzuCvLG8/VeB_XGuvqmI/AAAAAAAA1kc/ii_63bvBPt4/s400/11960079_10206604656008844_4999170499837040314_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zella Thula and Rassa Buananor (Arrow of Entropy). This<br />is based on a specific scene a couple chapters into the book.<br />Hands still vex me, but I think I'm improving at drawing them.</td></tr></tbody></table>I've been photographing my line drawings before I color them in and occasionally I like those better than the final versions. Here are some of them.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3nA0FzUDoKE/VeCCa7VoUVI/AAAAAAAA1k8/qiMpz3Uo-7A/s1600/11892162_10206589714475315_7736508052881250426_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3nA0FzUDoKE/VeCCa7VoUVI/AAAAAAAA1k8/qiMpz3Uo-7A/s400/11892162_10206589714475315_7736508052881250426_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uUIdiF7cheQ/VeCCa9fkMkI/AAAAAAAA1lI/C1J_ouDGq6M/s1600/11898674_10206604656288851_2701091134933270305_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uUIdiF7cheQ/VeCCa9fkMkI/AAAAAAAA1lI/C1J_ouDGq6M/s320/11898674_10206604656288851_2701091134933270305_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I started with Rassa, then added Zella behind him.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dmpA6fTuKko/VeCCa3TruLI/AAAAAAAA1lA/hsYM4Yyr4aw/s1600/11954726_10206604656128847_6924987752913499085_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dmpA6fTuKko/VeCCa3TruLI/AAAAAAAA1lA/hsYM4Yyr4aw/s320/11954726_10206604656128847_6924987752913499085_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UHU4oxpDDbk/VeCDPXo40TI/AAAAAAAA1lw/wu8YcTgoPd0/s1600/IMG_20150826_175748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UHU4oxpDDbk/VeCDPXo40TI/AAAAAAAA1lw/wu8YcTgoPd0/s400/IMG_20150826_175748.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arden and Rassa ended up looking similar, which was intentional since they're related.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mzUSWUg2pA0/VeCDhW8eaQI/AAAAAAAA1l4/0XQR96ZrVgw/s1600/IMG_20150826_155150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mzUSWUg2pA0/VeCDhW8eaQI/AAAAAAAA1l4/0XQR96ZrVgw/s400/IMG_20150826_155150.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lirit started out wearing pants but my 3 year old insisted she needed a skirt.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WlXxfN2QSjI/VeCCwelmS5I/AAAAAAAA1lY/FqlsSIzWgig/s1600/11902415_10206582830903230_5367131553208468572_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WlXxfN2QSjI/VeCCwelmS5I/AAAAAAAA1lY/FqlsSIzWgig/s320/11902415_10206582830903230_5367131553208468572_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Achara twins were adorable and I was hesitant to color them.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-42969690208448839542015-08-24T15:26:00.003-05:002015-08-24T21:14:57.138-05:00Whose Story is This, Anyway?<div style="text-align: justify;">My Maloran imaginary friends are still bouncing around my mind, especially when I sleep. My narrators aren't typically my favorite characters in the books, but they certainly are the loudest. Four of the books are told in first person, one is mixed first and third because Isen is relating Bethel's side of the story in addition to her own, and the six perspectives in the Echoes of Oblivion trilogy are third person.</div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rOiVJe18lL4/VcZV3tjQpUI/AAAAAAAAx_c/ZhoYkMk0cvE/s1600/11828760_10206455186472199_309226986983825647_n.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rOiVJe18lL4/VcZV3tjQpUI/AAAAAAAAx_c/ZhoYkMk0cvE/s400/11828760_10206455186472199_309226986983825647_n.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Mayfly Requiem&nbsp;</span></i></b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Lani </b>- <i>Mayfly</i> is Lani's journal, a confession of over 2,500 years of his history. He is a fallen Aulor, a biologically immortal Time Child who both observed and participated in the rises and falls of the continent of Malora over his lifetime. He is the twin brother of the Aulor Dia and the son of <a href="http://evergreenandindigo.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-web.html">Aucra and Eryagloris</a>, Time and Stars. Lani is a romantic poet at heart and his narrative style reflects that.</div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Echoes of Oblivion trilogy</span></i></b></div><b></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Abyssal Night, Shards of Chaos, The Shattered Veil</span></i></b></b></div><b></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Sevilen Achara</b> - Sevilen is the younger brother of <a href="http://evergreenandindigo.blogspot.com/2012/04/r-is-for-rastaban.html">Rastaban Eryaucra</a>, the tyrannical King of Ganebra. He begins the trilogy as a bookish eighteen year old and soon finds himself in a position of apparent power he can't escape from. He is gifted in both linguistics and swordsmanship, is fiercely protective of the people he loves, and is still trying to figure out how to deal with his narcolepsy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Rhodren Briarwind</b> - Rhodren is also eighteen at the beginning of the trilogy. He grew up in the green city of Heren, Maritor, and is the only child of a baker named Sharo Briarwind. He is finicky and often self-centered, but he occasionally also manages to be charismatic and compassionate. He has auditory-tactile synesthesia, a sensory quirk that is strange to everyone else even though it is his normal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Ember</b> - Ember is a Geophorian fire priest from the temple city of Reedwater, Anor. She begins the trilogy at age twenty-three. Like most fire priests, she is impulsive and destructive, but her inferno soul is cooled and balanced by her wind priest husband, <a href="http://evergreenandindigo.blogspot.com/p/m-irazenretta-keltau-reedwater.html">Moth</a>. She was found abandoned in the swamp as a newborn so has no knowledge of her parentage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Lirit Narsimor</b> - Lirit is the ten year old daughter of Lucienus Narsimor, a member of the King's Council. Her family belongs to Ganebra's privileged ruling class. She is an aspiring stage actress who, like all members of her social class, was taught to blindly revere and obey the King.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Tikaari Starsinger</b> - Tikaari is a Tenjeri, the race of fox-like people who mostly live in the northern regions of the world. She is the mate of Seya and the mother of Miya, Theta, and Saruza. The Tenjeri were inspired by the Japanese kitsune.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Aridani Eryaucra</b> - I won't give much away about Aridani since his perspective doesn't begin until Shards of Chaos. He's a scatterbrained dreamer with an interesting magical ability, and his point of view offers a new perspective on Rastaban.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><b></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Shadows of Absolution</span></i></b></b></div><b></b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Isen Layel</b> - Isen is a ranger of the Baku, a post-cataclysmic community of mountain dwellers founded by the earth priests Thora Achara and Onyx. She is the daughter of ranger Lusa Layel and earthworker <a href="http://evergreenandindigo.blogspot.com/2012/04/z-is-for-zoli.html">Zoli Achara</a>. At the onset of her story, Isen is drowning in a fathomless ocean of depression after losing the man she loved. She is a strong, intelligent young woman whose talent for wilderness survival piques the interest of the Aulor, Bethel.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bethel Masiona</b> - As far as Aulors go, Bethel is a young one, just over 100 years old. He survived the cataclysm sixty years prior and is now watching his children and his friends grow old and die while he remains physically around thirty. He has spent the years since the fall on a quest to find any remaining Tenjeri survivors and is now collecting a small group of people to take across the ocean and into the wilderness of a new continent in pursuit of the legendary Tenjeri city of Trieskel. Bethel's lingering regrets are busy trying to drag his sanity into the Abyss.</div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Sand into Glass</span></i></b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Arden Masiona</b> - We meet Arden about 7,800 years after the Fall of Ganebra, when the humans of Malora (now called Melor) have split into <a href="http://evergreenandindigo.blogspot.com/2012/08/melor-according-to-arden.html">multiple races</a> due to Aulor/<a href="http://evergreenandindigo.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-web.html">Elemental</a> interference and isolation. The youngest child of the Aulor Bethel Masiona is a gifted materials scientist with an explosive rage that has now landed him in a Drey prison awaiting trial for a murder he isn't certain he committed. Arden's mother is an Efi, a member of the race of long-lived forest guardians who live mostly in the western wilderness of the continent, and Arden's Aulor blood gives him additional longevity, so he is 407 years old when his story begins.</div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Crystal Lattice&nbsp;</span></i></b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Tesji Brier (Thula)</b> - <a href="http://evergreenandindigo.blogspot.com/2012/04/t-is-for-tesji.html">Tesji</a> is a young half-Efi elementalist mage who was raised by his eccentric, reclusive grandfather Janakei Brier in the Efilon Wilderness village of Tiponia. He is both charismatic and socially awkward, a combination that renders him an outcast as a child and eventually leads to a career as a bard as he travels across Melor in pursuit of the locations that haunt his dreams and nightmares. Tesji is the eldest of my novel-dwelling imaginary friends since I wrote his story first, so he's quite special to me despite his excessive alliteration and tendency to exaggerate.</div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Arrow of Entropy</span></i></b></div><span style="text-align: justify;"></span><br /><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>Zella Thula </b>- Shy, serious, analytical light mage Zella is a contrast to her often-flamboyant father, Tesji, and her outgoing siblings, Sora and Ellis. After Bethel refuses to take her on as an Emergent student, she ends up under the guidance of Rassa, an Aulor whose ancient curse was broken forty-two years earlier. Zella loves physics, reading, and music, and she's much stronger than she believes she is.</span></div><span style="text-align: justify;"></span><span style="text-align: justify;"></span><div style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><br /></b></span></div><span style="text-align: justify;"></span><br /><div><div style="text-align: justify;">My short story narrators can be found <a href="http://evergreenandindigo.blogspot.com/2015/06/short-stories-from-malora.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I1WDXMB2qW0/VUavbPGMDxI/AAAAAAAAqo4/zidsvxFwKTU/s1600/IMG_20150411_140005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I1WDXMB2qW0/VUavbPGMDxI/AAAAAAAAqo4/zidsvxFwKTU/s320/IMG_20150411_140005.jpg" width="237" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">...and, now here's a little teaser narrator from what will be my next book, which is set in Northeastern Michigan in the late 1990s. I don't have a title for this book yet, but it will come to me eventually. I'll let this narrator do their own introduction.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Casey Tallis</b> - "I'm not one of the cool kids. I'm not a goth or a jock or one of the pretty ones. I'll never be popular. I'm the dork who plays trombone in the marching band and is two years ahead of everyone else in math. I have Science Olympiad medals on my bedroom wall, hanging off a hook I made in the blacksmithing shop at a Renaissance Festival. I watch <i>The X-Files</i> and <i>Star Trek: Voyager</i> instead of <i>Friends</i> and I still miss <i>SeaQuest</i>. I don't like pop music and I spend my weekends either reading or playing <i>Dungeons &amp; Dragons</i> with the other dorks. I once fell out of a pine tree and sprained my ankle while pretending to be a halfling rogue. I don't want to be one of the cool kids. I want to be me. I won't apologize for being me."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-51688352692645995552015-08-14T13:59:00.000-05:002015-08-14T14:08:46.239-05:00Sketching the Imaginary Friends<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icTZmZyfo1M/Vc4qz4svbCI/AAAAAAAAyts/csGsxCraNwM/s1600/11207358_10206498580597025_3194991551964556450_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icTZmZyfo1M/Vc4qz4svbCI/AAAAAAAAyts/csGsxCraNwM/s400/11207358_10206498580597025_3194991551964556450_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I drew and doodled all the time as a teenager and young adult, but that hobby faded away as my movement disorder developed in my early 20s. I found my old pencil set in the garage a couple days ago and that rekindled my interest. I've started sketching out some of my characters. I used to go for a more realistic look, but since my hands shake now I've decided to switch to an anime/manga style. My artwork isn't very good and I'm experimenting with style, but I still think the characters turned out adorable. Hands have always been my bane, but I'm working on that. I need to get my scanner hooked up so I can get better images of the pictures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Who would you like to see me attempt to sketch next?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iEF1m0ty1Qo/Vc4ty3dsuxI/AAAAAAAAyu4/TX10qqPDwQk/s1600/11880635_845508888889663_8198958746994502069_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iEF1m0ty1Qo/Vc4ty3dsuxI/AAAAAAAAyu4/TX10qqPDwQk/s400/11880635_845508888889663_8198958746994502069_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First time I've sketched people in years. Hands are daunting so I hid them.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tg3SxS7pWHc/Vc4q2GhMQaI/AAAAAAAAyuM/F_aqL-OomLI/s1600/IMG_20150811_231327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tg3SxS7pWHc/Vc4q2GhMQaI/AAAAAAAAyuM/F_aqL-OomLI/s400/IMG_20150811_231327.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zella, Rassa, Mairen, Silvan (Arrow of Entropy)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4FDJh8DMd4s/Vc4qzFAirBI/AAAAAAAAyto/ukDVdPRYbs0/s1600/10612703_10206488670749285_2996684603808914398_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4FDJh8DMd4s/Vc4qzFAirBI/AAAAAAAAyto/ukDVdPRYbs0/s320/10612703_10206488670749285_2996684603808914398_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of Zella and Rassa</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U97BPE5hDWY/Vc4qz_NViOI/AAAAAAAAyuE/k9H71FiDVQ0/s1600/11863220_10206488668149220_8261791387738467426_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U97BPE5hDWY/Vc4qz_NViOI/AAAAAAAAyuE/k9H71FiDVQ0/s320/11863220_10206488668149220_8261791387738467426_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup of Mairen and Silvan</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jnnzV-2giQY/Vc4qzIue4wI/AAAAAAAAytk/T_BHvenxMlo/s1600/11059846_10206496146216167_3824273340355769790_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jnnzV-2giQY/Vc4qzIue4wI/AAAAAAAAytk/T_BHvenxMlo/s400/11059846_10206496146216167_3824273340355769790_n.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bethel and Sora (Arrow of Entropy)<br />Yes, Bethel's coloring isn't his usual, but there is a good reason for that. You'll have to read it to find out why.&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XSYufsQIrtw/Vc4ty78BinI/AAAAAAAAyvE/7VlNSQF6_mE/s1600/11223477_10206497560531524_3079784931393794933_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XSYufsQIrtw/Vc4ty78BinI/AAAAAAAAyvE/7VlNSQF6_mE/s400/11223477_10206497560531524_3079784931393794933_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love Sora's face in this. It's amazing how personality and emotion can be shown with just a couple lines.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-392eY714R2A/Vc4qzFl_oLI/AAAAAAAAyuQ/BFUJjXSU_ZM/s1600/11145164_10206497498049962_8132898175043454750_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-392eY714R2A/Vc4qzFl_oLI/AAAAAAAAyuQ/BFUJjXSU_ZM/s400/11145164_10206497498049962_8132898175043454750_n.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Safora and Terali (The Crystal Lattice)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZA6UpTTYueY/Vc46x7Wte1I/AAAAAAAAywo/Vpyrvu2DK6U/s1600/11888108_10206498585197140_3125236033433563380_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZA6UpTTYueY/Vc46x7Wte1I/AAAAAAAAywo/Vpyrvu2DK6U/s400/11888108_10206498585197140_3125236033433563380_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Ellis Thula (Arrow of Entropy)</span></div><div style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I love Ellis. His sister describes his style as "an explosion of flamboyancy" and you never quite know what is going to come out of either his mouth or his mind. My three year old is in love with this picture because of the flamingo.</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oknpp1ToPyM/Vc44NVsMhcI/AAAAAAAAywA/ypUQiVA2dJw/s1600/11831639_10206506663319088_2239599967456695293_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oknpp1ToPyM/Vc44NVsMhcI/AAAAAAAAywA/ypUQiVA2dJw/s400/11831639_10206506663319088_2239599967456695293_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Line drawing</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JGcdScqChhI/Vc44Nc4uxrI/AAAAAAAAyv8/iRdKzisI0iU/s1600/11866245_10206506663199085_1577459102479116898_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JGcdScqChhI/Vc44Nc4uxrI/AAAAAAAAyv8/iRdKzisI0iU/s400/11866245_10206506663199085_1577459102479116898_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Color added</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vem1XoVI0u0/Vc44Rt0AmCI/AAAAAAAAywU/gqYOmbFA83I/s1600/IMG_20150814_112634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vem1XoVI0u0/Vc44Rt0AmCI/AAAAAAAAywU/gqYOmbFA83I/s400/IMG_20150814_112634.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Background added (lighting washed out my colors a little)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-orryk4Bb2gE/Vc44P7mqZCI/AAAAAAAAywQ/s8K9OK00vpg/s1600/IMG_20150814_112704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-orryk4Bb2gE/Vc44P7mqZCI/AAAAAAAAywQ/s8K9OK00vpg/s400/IMG_20150814_112704.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lani (Mayfly Requiem and the rest of the Malora Octet)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-80008200999332870302015-08-09T11:07:00.000-05:002015-08-09T11:07:50.688-05:00Snippet Sunday: Creatures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I made these two little guys last night and love how they turned out. The gourdling is probably cuter than it should be, but I still like it. The rychan is kind of nightmarish, probably more how Lani sees them than how other people see them. Rychan can be a nuisance but they're usually harmless. Gourdlings on the other hand...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uwvMh6ba5lY/Vcd28qU2PlI/AAAAAAAAyB0/QkLB2WPBfjQ/s1600/IMG_20150808_225804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uwvMh6ba5lY/Vcd28qU2PlI/AAAAAAAAyB0/QkLB2WPBfjQ/s400/IMG_20150808_225804.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div style="font-style: italic;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Gourdlings</span></b></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: start;">They wore nothing but hollowed-out gourds tied over their shoulders with bundles of spiderwebs. Tufts of woolly, green hair sprouted from random locations on their leathery brown bodies. Their eyes were the same color as their skins and had no whites, so I had difficulty determining if either of them were looking directly at me. They each grabbed one of my knees between gnarled, green-nailed hands, and then ushered me into a large burrow.</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><b>--The Crystal Lattice</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HpIDzH24BP0/Vcd23mHyZ3I/AAAAAAAAyBs/huS1Q1k0frk/s1600/IMG_20150809_082151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HpIDzH24BP0/Vcd23mHyZ3I/AAAAAAAAyBs/huS1Q1k0frk/s400/IMG_20150809_082151.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Rychan</span></b></div><br /><i><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Rychan frighten me. The Web's prison was full of them, but they were not prisoners. The rychan were the guards, and every time I hear a branch scratching a window, I remember their claws scraping across the floor and clinking over the crystal gates. Such a horrible sound, unmistakable, yet everything mundane reminds me of it. Sleep in my cell was painfully quiet, but my imagination concocted waking nightmares nonetheless, and rychan were among the worst of them.</i></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>I suppose rychan were the closest thing in Malora to the mythical dragons, but they looked little like dragons and more like enormous mice with massive membraned wings and silk-furred tails. They were scavenger feeders, and their talons and sharp teeth frightened me the most. I saw the guards in shadows and darkened whispers. They brought me food and water, but I knew they would rather slash me open if I gave them an excuse. I heard the screams, saw the claws dripping with blood. I behaved. For the first time in my life, I truly and voluntarily behaved. Compliance was my only hope for clemency.</i></div></i><div><div style="text-align: right;"><b>--Mayfly Requiem</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-81976777168991897052015-08-08T14:01:00.000-05:002015-08-08T14:39:52.430-05:00Arrow of EntropyIt's over. It's finally over. The Malora Octet is complete.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">12 years of work, 8 books, approximately 2570 printed 6"x9" pages, 10,500 years of history, 14 meddling and fallible gods, 4 reluctant demigods, 11 point of view characters, few survivors.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Arrow of Entropy</i> published this morning for both <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Entropy-Emergence-Book-3-ebook/dp/B013M88VCK/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1439057260&amp;sr=1-2" target="_blank">eBook</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Entropy-Emergence-Courtney-Privett/dp/1511403640/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1439057260&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank">paperback</a>.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gqbemF2ErJM/VcZOW-eRmeI/AAAAAAAAx_E/2w2oVDtnbbg/s1600/Arrow_of_Entropy_Cover_for_Kindle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gqbemF2ErJM/VcZOW-eRmeI/AAAAAAAAx_E/2w2oVDtnbbg/s400/Arrow_of_Entropy_Cover_for_Kindle.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I unleashed this final volume with a mixture of relief, elation, and sadness. I feel like I'm moving away from a familiar place, away from my friends and comfortable surroundings, and traveling into the unknown. I can always go back to visit, but I no longer live there. Home is somewhere else now. I think you'll see why when you read this story. There was a broad arc to this series, and <i>Arrow</i>&nbsp;reaches the end point of that arc. I'm playing short stories told by minor characters from the series, but those are just little treats for my loyal readers to give them some additional historical depth and some interesting twists in the canon that didn't fit into the main narrative.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Onward, and I'm waiting for the moving truck to arrive so I can unpack the elements of my new storytelling home. I already have a new imaginary best friend, and this one is straight out of my adolescence. I'm switching genres for a while and working on a concept for a horror novel set in Northeastern Michigan in the mid-to-late 1990s. I've already experiemented with this and had great results... my short story "They" is being published in a Halloween anthology soon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'll keep you updated on the anthology as I know more about the release date and title. I'm excited about it, since it's the first time I've submitted my work for consideration and the publisher snapped it up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the meantime, I hope you enjoy <i>Arrow of Entropy</i>. A lot of love went into this book, and although it ended up being a totally different animal from the previous books, I believe it is a fitting conclusion to the Malora Octet.</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-12092652409046785332015-07-22T18:35:00.000-05:002015-07-22T18:38:29.614-05:00Moth's Story<div style="text-align: justify;">I've added Moth's short story to the page tabs, or you<a href="http://evergreenandindigo.blogspot.com/p/m-irazenretta-keltau-reedwater.html" target="_blank"> can read it here</a>. He was fifteen years old at the time of this story, so it takes place about a decade before his introduction in <i>The Abyssal Night.&nbsp;</i>If you haven't read the <i>Echoes of Oblivion </i>trilogy and aren't into spoilers, I recommend not reading it yet, since it details a familial relationship between two characters that comes as a revelation in <i>Shards of Chaos.</i></div><i><br /></i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-btiW7ZRrLGM/VbAorYxZYwI/AAAAAAAAxiM/MOcyHmLbu5Q/s1600/What%2Bis%2Blove%2Bif%2Bnot%2Bthe%2Bgravity%2Bof.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="335" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-btiW7ZRrLGM/VbAorYxZYwI/AAAAAAAAxiM/MOcyHmLbu5Q/s400/What%2Bis%2Blove%2Bif%2Bnot%2Bthe%2Bgravity%2Bof.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In the meantime, I'm not editing or writing a whole lot right now because I'm on painkillers and waiting for kidney stone surgery, which should happen on Monday. I did write a couple journal entries by a character who was addled on painkillers when he wrote them and I'm working on a short about Exi's emergence, since she was dealing with a lot of pain when she went through it. No editing on Arrow of Entropy for now, though. Not a good idea to do final edits when I'm medicated, even though my brain wants me to.</div>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-82888924852696037352015-07-01T10:58:00.003-05:002015-07-01T10:58:56.245-05:00Wordless Wednesday: Night Sky<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bPX0xSGNKK4/VZQNfHTrGJI/AAAAAAAAv9s/8xrI7uaQwQ8/s1600/moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bPX0xSGNKK4/VZQNfHTrGJI/AAAAAAAAv9s/8xrI7uaQwQ8/s400/moon.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oblivion sky (<i>Arrow of Entropy</i>) - or the moon over Northern California</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2MR9xGV7hzk/VZQN_gf0w4I/AAAAAAAAv90/aVpZW3YMQxY/s1600/convergence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2MR9xGV7hzk/VZQN_gf0w4I/AAAAAAAAv90/aVpZW3YMQxY/s400/convergence.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venus and Jupiter conjunction.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-16709930210150605322015-06-29T20:42:00.001-05:002015-06-29T20:42:32.244-05:00The Proof is on the Bookshelf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5QCzqNM9kvU/VZHw9X7LYLI/AAAAAAAAvvA/gNF-p7v1OTM/s1600/IMG_20150629_181513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5QCzqNM9kvU/VZHw9X7LYLI/AAAAAAAAvvA/gNF-p7v1OTM/s400/IMG_20150629_181513.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />Little preview of the final book in the Malora Octet. It's just a proof, but I like to have a hard copy in my hands for the last few rounds of edits. I'm waiting on two beta readers to get back to me before I mess with it, but it's definitely one of my prettier babies, both inside and out. It's coming in at about 340 pages in a 6x9" trim, but that may shift a little depending on edits or formatting.<br /><br />Meanwhile, I'm writing short stories. I've already completed stories told by Mirren Kelta, Delora Narsimor, and Aunfrey Aloret, and Moth. If you only recognize Moth out of those four, don't be alarmed. The other three were only mentioned once or twice in the books. Mirren is the High Commander of the Ganebran military in the years following Sunder's Mage Wars (<i>Mayfly Requiem)</i>, Delora is the mother of Lucienus Narsimor, and Aunfrey is the servant woman who helped Rastaban raise Sevilen. I'm in the middle of a story told by Solace Achara, which takes place in the year immediately following <i>The Shattered Veil</i>. These stories are just snapshots into the lives of some of these characters, but I'm finding they reveal an awful lot about the world that didn't make it into the octet.<br /><br />I've also started meandering about my new project, which has nothing to do with Malora at all. I'm playing around in a new genre, so this story will land somewhere between psychological and supernatural horror. It is told by a teenager who lives in Northeastern Michigan in the late 1990s, so I'm pulling from my own adolescence for this one. I've never played with pop culture references before, but this story definitely needs some. I'll eventually find a name for this new book, but for right now it's just "my Huron project".Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-642652308807959183.post-80684938860497210252015-06-12T12:32:00.001-05:002017-09-04T12:02:46.638-05:00Short Stories from Malora<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9X20gJtyXYA/VXsJlTC8wxI/AAAAAAAAujo/8fTDRdwP5oo/s1600/IMG_20150611_195620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9X20gJtyXYA/VXsJlTC8wxI/AAAAAAAAujo/8fTDRdwP5oo/s400/IMG_20150611_195620.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><i>Arrow of Entropy</i>&nbsp;is in the hands of beta readers, so I'm waiting for them to dissect and shred my weird little upside down story. <span style="color: #ffe599;">(Update: I <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Arrow-Entropy-Emergence-Courtney-Privett/dp/1511403640/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">published</a> this baby in August, 2015.)&nbsp;</span>I guess my brain isn't ready to completely move on yet. I'm backtracking because I have all these little characters and bits of history that didn't make it into my books because there wasn't an appropriate place for them. They are now becoming short stories, which I will eventually amass into a collection titled <i>Rain Falls on Malora</i>. I have some concrete ideas for these stories, and I expect others to pop out of nowhere and demand to be written, like the one I wrote about Aunfrey.<br /><br />I'd love to hear reader ideas. Who or what would you like to read more about? I'll list what I already have completed, conceptualized, and requested below, broken down by era (though some of them are between books instead of during). I'll edit the list as I think of or write more.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffe599;">List updated 9/3/17</span><br /><br /><i><u><b>Mayfly Reqiuem</b></u></i><br /><b>Nova </b>- reader suggestion<br /><b>Mirren Kelta</b> - early High Commander of the Ganebran Army immediately following the Mage Wars. &nbsp;<span style="color: #fff2cc;">(story completed)</span><br /><b>Delora Faradel Narsimor</b> - Lucienus's mother, just before they met Lani. <span style="color: #fff2cc;">(story completed)</span><br /><b>Ariana Achara</b>&nbsp;- this little vignette is directed toward three-year-old Rassa. <span style="color: #fff2cc;">(story completed)</span><br /><b><i><u><br /></u></i></b><b><i><u>The Abyssal Night</u></i></b><br /><b>Aunfrey Tasarian Aloret</b>&nbsp;- Sevilen's wet nurse and primary caregiver during his first couple years of life. <span style="color: #fff2cc;">(story completed)</span><br /><b>Summer Aulani</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">&nbsp;</i>-Tempo's wife in Cascades. She never made a physical appearance in the books but she was mentioned in <i>Shadows of Absolution</i>&nbsp;<span style="color: #fff2cc;">(story completed and yikes, this one is devastating)</span><br /><b>Rain - </b>The Geophorian weather priest meets with Dawn in a Ganebran border city.&nbsp;<span style="color: #fff2cc;">(story completed)</span><br /><b>Sharo Briarwind</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">&nbsp;</i>- Sharo and young Rhodren are visited by two other members of the Briarwind family <span style="color: #fce5cd;">(story completed)</span><br /><b>Rastaban Eryaucra&nbsp;</b>- three journal entries from when he was 17-19, attempts at getting his thoughts out of his head so he could dispose of them. <span style="color: #fff2cc;">(story completed)</span><br /><b><a href="http://evergreenandindigo.blogspot.com/p/m-irazenretta-keltau-reedwater.html" target="_blank">Mirazen Keltau</a></b>&nbsp;- Moth was 15 when his father came to see him in Reedwater, Anor. <span style="color: #fff2cc;">(story completed)</span><br /><br /><b><i><u>Shards of Chaos</u></i></b><br /><b>Aurelien Dirus&nbsp;</b>- age 14, hiding from Geophorian hunters in Rimara.&nbsp;<span style="color: #fff2cc;">(story complete)</span><br /><b><br /></b><b><i><u>The Shattered Veil</u></i></b><br /><b>Solace Achara</b>&nbsp;- about a year after <i>The Shattered Veil</i>. <span style="color: #fff2cc;">(story completed)</span><br /><b><br /></b><b><i><u>pre-Shadows of Absolution</u></i></b><br /><b>Maple Briarwind </b>- Rabbit's wife, one of the founders of Efilon <span style="color: #fce5cd;">(in progress)</span><br /><b>Holly Thula </b>- reader suggestion<br /><b>Zoli Achara</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">&nbsp;</i>- Zoli and his mother, Thora, search for hope in a wasteland. <span style="color: #fce5cd;">(Story Completed)</span><br /><br /><b><i><u>Interlude</u></i></b><br /><b>Ulali Masiona </b>- halfway between <i>Shadows of Absolution</i>&nbsp;and <i>Sand into Glass</i>, Ulali travels into the wastelands, to Corvus Rift far beyond the northern peaks of Gainai, in search of her father, Bethel. <span style="color: #fce5cd;">(</span><span style="color: #fce5cd;">story completed)</span><br /><span style="color: #fce5cd;"><b>Laira Masiona </b>- Bethel's half-Toli daughter ends up in places she didn't expect while learning to control her magical ability</span><span style="color: #fce5cd;"> <span style="color: #fce5cd;">(story completed)</span></span><br /><br /><b><i><u>Sand into Glass</u></i></b><br /><b>Sonara Masiona</b>&nbsp;- this one was a reader request. Out of Arden's three half-Mero siblings, Sonara is the one I revealed the least about even though she ended up having a vital role in his story.<br /><b>Azfadel Thula </b>- I'm thinking either around the time when he leaves Tiponia to go to Vanora or his early friendship with Arden.<br /><br /><b><i><u>The Crystal Lattice</u></i></b><br /><b>Bralt Achay</b><br /><b>Lorena &amp; Valosa Masiona </b>- Theron's wife and youngest daughter<br /><b>Exi Achay's emergence</b>&nbsp;- Exi has a connection to Bralt and Terali, but I'll let you guys learn about it in <i>Arrow</i>. Her emergence would have taken place during the <i>Lattice</i>&nbsp;era, so that's why I stuck it here instead of under <i>Arrow</i>. <span style="color: #fce5cd;">(story completed)</span><br /><br /><b><i><u>Arrow of Entropy</u></i></b><br />I won't detail these since not many people have read&nbsp;<i>Arrow </i>yet...<br /><b>Senna and Varadi</b><br /><b>Eliani Gira </b><i><b>&nbsp;</b>- &nbsp;</i>Vutan's exile from Stixa <span style="color: #fce5cd;">(story completed)</span><br /><b>The Liefen coup</b><br /><b>Saskia and Cantha</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">&nbsp;</i>- this one would be post-series and would go into Inga culture in a little more detail.<br /><b><br /></b>Feel free to leave a comment if you have any ideas for me.<br /><br />I also recently wrote a totally-unrelated short story that I submitted for consideration in a Halloween anthology. My beta readers loved it so if it doesn't get picked, I'll post it here on my blog. <span style="color: #ffe599;">(Update: "They"&nbsp;was chosen for the anthology, <i>Trick or Treat: A Collection of Spooky Stories</i>, which can be found on Amazon in both <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trick-Treat-Collection-Spooky-Stories-ebook/dp/B0161IKAO0/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">e-book</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Trick-Treat-Collection-Spooky-Stories/dp/0986182222/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1446013365&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=trick+or+treat+a+collection+of+spooky+stories" target="_blank">paperback</a> editions)</span>Courtneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06997559559445314487noreply@blogger.com0